Poultry branding device



INVENTOR.

LEIBOWITZ T ATTORNEY? Feb. 11, 1941. A, LElBowrrz POULTRY BRANDING DEVICE Filed Sept. 5, 1938 Illl Patented Feb. 11, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 3 Claims.

My invention relates to branding devices, and more particularly to a device for imparting a non-removable mark to poultry.

Branding devices for marking various products are replete in the prior art. Difficulties have been encountered inapplying these devices, and in many cases, they leave marks undesirable in character.

I am concerned primarily, though not limited, to a device capable of branding the skin of poultry through the feathered sections. Accordingly, an object of my invention is to provide a device capable of producing a mark on the skin of poultry, by penetration, without necessarily destroying the feathers ,or piercing the skin.

Foods prepared in accordance with the teachings of certain religious groups are, in many cases, so designated. A desirable feature of such a designation would be some indication of the person attesting to the proper preparation of the aforesaid foods, as'well as 'to its age and point of origin. These markings are thereafter available to inspectors, thus insuring observance of the laws both as to religious requirements aswell as statutory demands.

A further object of my invention, therefore, is to provide a branding device,'having a branding surface adapted to be easily removed, which will indicate preferably by individually removable sections, the nature of the requirement, the person attesting thereto, the point of origin and possibly the date, making possible a determination of age.

Other objects are to provide a device adapted for continuous operation, having guides and guards for ease and protection during operation, which can be simply, conveniently and inexpensively operated, which can be adjusted to any height and angle of use, which may be accidently dropped without injury or causing any fire hazards, which is portable and readily carried about, and to which may be readily attached a device for recording the number of marks applied.

I accomplish these and other objects and obtain my new results as will beapparen-t from the device described in the following description, particularly pointed out in the attached claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a top view of my branding device with counter attached.

Fig. 2 is an end view of the same attachment.

Fig. 3 is a side view showing the pedestal of the device illustrated in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view. along line 3--4 and in the direction indicated by the arrows.

Fig. 5 is a side view of an unthreadcd branding die locking device. I

Fig. 6 is a cross section of a branding die support.

Fig. 7 is. a perspective View of a modified means for holding the dies together.

In the drawing, reference numeral i0 designates I the body or receptacle holding the heating unit H, of the familiar cartridge type, and-enclosed casing I2, is similarly providedwith studs 19, into which the spacersv are inserted. An additional casing projecting stud 20, apertured, threadedly engages the end of a tightening rod 2| which extends throughan aperture 22 in the bottom wall of the body, around which projects a neck 23,

enclosing a nut 24, for tightening the rod and drawing the casing l2 firmly, to the spacers, securing the casing withinthe body.

The uppersurface 25 of the casing i2 is in direct, contact with heated dies 26,v 21 and 28, compressed and locked therein by slotted locking device 29, mounted in recess of casing surface 25. A cover 3| extends across the open section 32, of the body it), and insulated therefrom by an asbestos sheet 39. The cover is mounted to said body by apertured studs 33, extending from the. cover, having screws 34 projecting therethrough from the outer side of the body. A central cut-out 35 is stamped from the cover 3| to permit the branding dies 26, 21 and 28 to extend therethrough, and permitting access to the die locking device 29. Attaching screws 36, positioned in recesses 31 of insulated blocks 38 engage the cover 3 I and support the blocks thereon, forming a guard rest for the hands asthey support the object to be branded. The open section 32 may be inclined at each side of the body, permitting the. insulating blocks and cover to be similarly inclined from the die surfaces, as. an additional convenience. I

Transversely extending from each side of body ID, are coils 40, made of stiff, spring wire, resting in recesses 4| in the body wall. They are affixed to the guard frame 42, made. of aluminum or other suitable material, extending laterally and longitudinally and spaced from the body walls to prevent contact therewith. The coils are sufficiently rigid to support the guard frame.

he frame 42 may be cast as a single unit, or into side sections 43 and 44, and end sections 45 and 46, connected by screws 41, as shown. From the upper edges of the side sections 43 and 44, and integrally therewith, extend a plurality of guard projections 48, in two pairs of three each, to keep the fingers of the operator away from the heated dies.

The guard frame and prongs extend from five sides of the body, insuring protection from fire or accidental injury, regardless of the position of the branding iron.

The body ID, with guard frame 42, may be supported on a pedestal stand 50, by means of a telescopic extension 5|, which set screw 52 engages. Angular swivel 53, controlled by wing nut 54 may be introduced when it is desired to tilt the branding surface. 1

Set screw 55 projecting through neck 23 of the body l0 locks the body in the desired horizontal position.

To prevent undue heat loss, the unoccupied space in the body l0, may be filled with some insulating material such as asbestos 55, leaving the surface 28 of the cartridge exposed to the branding dies for direct heat transfer.

The dies are designed for ease in removal and installation. A wide variety of methods are available for this purpose.

They may be directly attached to the cartridge casing by screwing the individual dies thereto. One of the dies, as for instance 51, incorporating a constantly used symbol, may be provided with projecting prongs 58, as shown in Figure 7 with the remaining dies, apertured as at 59 to i receive the prongs, as shown in die 60.

The dies may be provided with groove sides GI, as shown in die 62, of Fig. 6, into whichthe corresponding projection 63 of a supporting plate 64 may be inserted. Such an arrangement is shown in Fig. 1, where the cover plate 3| encloses the supporting plate 64 through cut-out 35. At one end of the supporting plate the projections 63 are removed to allow the dies 26, 21 and 28 to be inserted and moved laterally into position or removed therefrom. The die locking device 29, inserted into aperture 30 of the cartridge casing is provided with an extending stud 65 for this purpose. A cam section 66 is spaced between the slotted head 61 and the stud to lock the dies into position, the cam engaging the adjacent die and wedging itself into position, looking the three dies. when the slotted head is rotated by a suitable tool such as a screw driver.

The guard projections 48 are curved as shown in Fig. 2, to guide the leg to be branded of the chicken, as well as to guard the fingers of the operator while branding. This arrangement, together with the insulating blocks 38 and the guard 42, renders the device practically accident-proof.

The extending pointed wires of the dies are of two kinds: the flat faced type 6'! and the sharp, pointed type 68. By combining the two types of wires together on the branding dies, I have found that the surface to be branded will not be pierced, yet the wires will penetrate the feathers of poultry without scorching large and noticeable areas.

A counter arm '10 extends transversely across the face of the device, to one side of the branding dies. It is integrally mounted on the axle ll,

rotating the dials 14 within the counter 12, readable through window 13. The counter may be mounted on a bracket 16 by screws 15, in turn supported on the frame 42, by screws 11,

Suitable materials are used in all instances; in particular, the wires and dies may be made of nichrome metal, or other metal adapted to be heated to a high degree without corroding. The wires may be threaded into the die, or riveted thereto.

It will be apparent from the foregoing description that I have devised a branding tool adapted for special use in connection with the designation of poultry, especially Kosher poultry. The oilicial attesting to the designation indicated by die 28, may be indicated by some symbol such as the crescent carried by die 21. The date and perhaps origin of the poultry or source distributed, may be indicated by a pro-arranged grouping of the wires on die 26. The date may be changed without difliculty by the simple operation of replacing the end die 26 adjacent the looking device 29. Any satisfactory arrangement for removing the dies or looking them into position may be used, the device illustrated being an example. The coils for insulating the body from the guard may also be used as a shock absorber in the event the branding device is dropped. This is true, even though the device is dropped on the branding surface, .the projections 48 preventing injury by transmitting the shock to the coils 40.

I have been primarily concerned with raising the standards of Kosher marked foods, by preventing deception, and insuring freshness. The device is convenient to handle, inexpensive to operate, and adapted to continuous use. Fraud is practically eliminated.

I have thus described my invention, but I desire it understood that it is not confined to the particular forms and uses shown and described, the same being merely illustrative, and that the invention may be carried out in other ways without departing from the spirit of my invention, and, therefore, I claim broadly the right to employ all equivalent instrumentalities coming within the scope of the appended claims, and by means of which, objects of my invention are attained and new results accomplished, as it is obvious that the particular embodiments herein shown and described are only some of the many that can be employed to attain these objects and accomplish these results.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is as follows:

' I claim:

1. A branding device comprising a heating unit having a branding die-contacting surface; a body enclosing said heating unit except for said die-contacting surface; a branding die for contact with the die-contacting surface; a guard frame enclosing said body and spaced therefrom; and a plurality of coiled springs connected to and extending from said body for spacing the guard frame therefrom.

2. A poultry branding device comprising a heating unit having a branding die-contacting surface; a body enclosing said heating unit except for said die-contacting surface provided with a branding die for branding the legs of poultry, in contact with the die-contacting surface; a guard frame enclosing said body and spaced therefrom; and a counter attached to said guard frame having a lever extending transversely across and above said die-contacting surface and the branding dies to one side thereof operated branding die, having a plurality of extending prongs of substantially equal length at least one of which has a stubby end, to avoid penetrating the surface of the skin of the poultry to be branded, and at least one having a sharp pointed 6 end, adapted to penetrate the feathered surface.

ALFRED LEIBOWITZ. 

